Match day 6 of the Champions League kicks off with the 32 best teams of Europe playing for the 16 spots in the next round to reach the next step towards their goal of lifting that Champions League trophy in the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany this coming June 6th. 11 teams have already qualified but 5 more are needed and of the other 21, 9 have already been eliminated from this tournament, leaving 12 teams vying for the remaining 5 spots. On Tuesday, December 9th, we will see groups A-D face off and here are the predictions
Group A:
Match day 5 fixtures: Malmö 0-2 Juventus
Atlético Madrid 4-0 Olympiacos
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Athens, Greece
Malmö is out whether they win or tie. Their only win was against Olympiacos, a surprising 2-0 win that earned them the only 3 points they have in the table. We expected more from Olympiacos last time they faced Malmö and if they want to go on to the next round, they need to win against Malmö and hope that Juventus loses against Atlético Madrid. Seeing how they struggled last time, I don’t see them qualifying for the fifth round.
Final Score: Malmö 1-1 Olympiacos FC
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
These two teams faced each other back in the beginning of October, when Atlético take the three points in a 1-0 victory over the Italian giants. Atlético has already qualified for the next round and Juventus can qualify to the next round with a draw or hope that Olympiacos does not win over Malmö. Both teams have improved but the way Atlético has played in so far, a win is more likely for them.
Final Score: Atlético Madrid 2-1 Juventus
Group B:
Match day 5 fixtures: Basel 0-1 Real Madrid
Liverpool 2-2 Ludogorets
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England
FC Basel beat Liverpool 1-0 the first time they met up. Liverpool needs to win this game if they want to go through to the next round of the champions’ league. Even if they were to tie against Basel, it will not be enough because that will only leave them with 5 points in the table. On the other hand, Basel will go through with a tie. With Liverpool having lost Luis Suarez and Mario Balotelli unable to rise up to the level of Suarez, Basel are likely to win it.
Final Score: FC Basel 1-0 Liverpool
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Real Madrid has already qualified for the next round of the Champions league due to their 100% record, while Ludogorets have been eliminated. The last time these two teams faced, Ludogorets gave Real Madrid hell but still lost 2-1. I see Madrid taking this one, leaving them the only team to finish with a perfect record in the Champions League.
Final Score: Real Madrid 3-0 Ludogorets
Group C:
Match day 5 fixtures: Zenit 1-0 Benfica
Leverkusen 0-1 Monaco
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Stade Louis II, Fontvieille, Monaco
This is the group that gets complicated. Three out of the four teams have a chance to qualify under these scenarios: Zenit will go to the next round with a win and a Leverkusen loss. Monaco will be through with a draw, and would finish top if Leverkusen lose. Monaco has struggled since losing Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez, while Zenit has looked strong. This match will finish with a tie, seeing Monaco through and eliminating Zenit.
Final Score: AS Monaco 2-0 FC Zenit
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal
It has been a disappointing group stage for Benfica, who have lost three games and only won one. With just four points, they will not advance to the next round. Bayer Leverkusen has been the surprising team in this table with three wins and two loses but should have an easy win over the Portuguese team. With a win, Leverkusen will advance as the first-placed team.
Final Score: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Benfica
Group D:
Match day 5 fixtures: Arsenal 2-0 Borussia Dortmund
Anderlecht 2-0 Galatasaray AS
Photo by: Getty Images
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey
Arsenal has three wins but struggled against Anderlecht in the reverse fixture, giving up a 3-0 lead to end up with a tie. They have already qualified for the round of 16 but need better form if they want to advance past the round of 16. Galatasaray have only gained one point in the Champions League so far and have already been eliminated. Arsenal should have an easy win here.
Final Score: Arsenal 3-0 Galatasaray AS
8:45 PM CET (11:45 AM PST) @ Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
Dortmund has struggled in the Bundesliga but seems to be doing great in the Champions League. With 4 wins and just the one loss against Arsenal, Borussia has been close to unstoppable and has already qualified for the round of 16. If things do not improve for Borussia in the Bundesliga, they will still contend in the Champions League, provided they don’t lose their two stars Marco Reus and Mats Hummels in the January transfer window. Anderlecht, on the other hand, will finish third no matter what the result, and have qualified for the Europa League round of 32.
Photo by: Getty Images
Final Score: Borussia Dortmund 3-1 RSC Anderlecht